Be It Resolved . . .

Resolutions for a new year or any time

It’s a tradition some people hate and others embrace – the creation of resolutions for the new year. It doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In fact, creating resolutions can be a healthy and helpful way of improving your life. They don’t have to be made just at New Years, either.

There are three main problems that I see people encountering with their resolutions

1. scale
2. intention
3. belief

Let’s look at scale.

A lot of people seem to think that a resolution is no good unless it’s big. And sometimes that means too big. Someone who’s $10,000 in debt might make the resolution to get out of debt before the end of the year, but that’s setting themselves up for failure. By resolving, instead, to pay down their debt and not incur any new debt, they stand a much better chance of meeting their resolve.

What do I mean by intention?

The way a resolution is worded is important. When a person who’s overweight resolves to lose 50 pounds, they’re likely to get discouraged if they skip a day at the gym. And sometimes that discouragement is enough to make them lose their resolve altogether. If, however, they resolve to work on creating a healthier lifestyle, then skipping a day at the gym isn’t going to be seen as a failure. By going to the gym they’ve already met their resolution. They’ll only fail if they continue skipping days.

Finally, there’s a person’s belief about their resolution.

This is exactly what it sounds like. Many resolutions seem to be made without the belief that they’ll be met. Perhaps they’re only made because someone feels they’re “supposed” to make a resolution. Perhaps because they want to reach the stated goal. Whatever the reason behind it, if someone doesn’t believe in the resolution they make, chances are they won’t follow through.

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Resolutions are a good way to set yourself on the path to a goal. People who state their goals, especially in writing, are much more likely to attain them than those who simply have a distant goal in mind. But don’t cripple yourself by creating resolutions that are destined to fail. Create realistic, attainable goals, and you’ll find yourself reaching them.

What resolutions will you make for the coming year?

That's Smokin'!

Sometimes quitting is exactly the right thing to do.

It may seem unlikely, but if you’re one of the many people who are trying to quit smoking, there are actually two ways you can spend just five minutes to help you out.

1. Five minutes of exercise

That’s right. Not only can just five minutes of exercise keep the doctor at bay, but it seems to help people quit smoking, too. And helps them quit smoking without the commonly associated weight gain.

Dr. Adrian Taylor (University of Exeter) was the lead scientist in a team that reviewed findings from multiple studies on the link between smoking cessation and exercise. What they found was that just five minutes of exercise quickly and drastically cut cigarette cravings and helped reduce withdrawal symptoms for up to 50 minutes. One of the most interesting reports from Dr. Taylor’s team was the finding that just five minutes of exercise was as effective at curbing cravings and symptoms as a nicotine patch.

2. Focus on something else

Cigarette craving are often the downfall of the person who’s trying to quit. The craving comes on strong and feels as though it will never end unless you appease it with a quick drag.

The truth is, most cravings fade away somewhere between 90-seconds and five minutes.

It isn’t easy, but you can conquer five minutes. You can overcome that craving. Find something to take your mind away from the craving. Listen to a song. Read a blog post. make a phone call. Exercise. Find something to do for five minutes, and you'll find you can get through the craving.

Once you’ve pushed through once you’ll know you can do it again. Once you’ve pushed through several times, you’ll know you have the willpower to never smoke again. You’ll have successfully quit.

Have you wanted to quit smoking? Take just five minutes to start stopping today.

Just Do It

"I'll get started after I've studied it a bit more. I'm almost ready; I just need more background knowledge."

I got to meet some inspiring people at the Seth Godinevent in Minneapolis last Thursday. The woman who said she'd get started "after I've studied" was not one of them. She was nice. She was friendly. And she thinks she'll make a million dollars off of the business idea she wants to study more. She won't.

It's not that her idea can't make a million dollars. Million dollar ideas happen every day -- often the things we least expect. No, the reason she won't make a million dollars is because she's not working on her idea.

I believe her when she says she needs more information before her idea is perfect. Perfection doesn't happen. And it most definitely doesn't happen if you don't get started. By studying instead of doing, she risks nothing. By risking nothing, she has no chance of failing. But she has no chance of succeeding, either.

There are things she can do while still studying. Ways she can start DOING. She can write up a business plan. She can look for investors. She can mock up a product. Once she mocks up a product she can start selling it -- even though it won't be perfect. I've never met a customer who would rather buy a perfect nonexistent product instead of an imperfect product that actually exists. (If you know of any, send them my way. I'll sell them plenty of perfect nothings.)

The point is to start. Education and research is important, but they can quickly become excuses to never go anywhere. If you have something you want to do - do it. It takes just five minutes to get started on something. So get started.

What "perfect problems" can you overcome by spending just five minutes actually working on them?

The Write Stuff

Write a bestseller in just five minutes!

I know a lot of writers. Real writers. Writers who write every day, or close to. Writers who know that all it takes to write (beyond learning the alphabet and the rudimentaries of stringing words into thoughts) is to write. Some of them have published bestselling novels. Some are regular columnists for respected papers. Some have been published locally or have self-published. Many haven't been published. Yet. But they write.

I know a lot of wannabe writers. Wannabes who talk about how much they want to write. Wannabes who complain they have to much to do (families, jobs, responsibilities, for pete's sake!) to find the time to write. Not one of them has written a worst-selling novel. Not one of them has a column with the most pathetic of papers. Not one of them has been published locally (at least not since school) or has self-published. And they won't be. Because they don't write.

It doesn't take much to write. Sure, a lot of people will tell you to write at least 500 words, 1000 words, 2000 words every day. Others will say write for at least half an hour, an hour, two hours every day. And to the wannabe whose excuse is that there's no time, those are nearly impossible goals to agree to stick to. That's when we turn to Jerry Cheaver's Immediate Fiction: A Complete Writing Course.

John Cheaver's primary, numero uno, can't miss rule in Immediate Fiction is to spend at least five minutes every day on your work in progress.

That's right. Just five minutes.

Okay. I can hear you through the computer. "How on earth will anyone get anywhere if they only write five minutes? Get real."

First, just because you promise yourself you'll write at least five minutes doesn't mean you can't write more. Sometimes (maybe even often) you will. But if you only promise yourself at least five minutes, you will always be able to find the time. Even if it means hiding in the bathroom away from the kids or coworkers. Five minutes is ridiculously doable.

B.^* When you spend time actively thinking about your work in progress every day -- even just five minutes -- the story stays with you. You think about it both consciously and subconsciously throughout the day, week, month. You work out problems without even trying ("Hey! Chapter two would work better at the end of the book. Duh!"). And, when you do sit down to write for those five minutes, the story is fresh. You know it. You know where you are. You don't have to reacquaint yourself with the world, the plot, the characters.

and 3.^* When you're struggling to find something to write, when you can't figure out what needs to happen next, when you're body curls up arthritically to cringe away from "writer's block," knowing you need only write for five minutes can be freeing. If you're writing for just five minutes, you can let the story go in an unexpected direction. You can let your characters behave uncharacteristically. You can play and experiment. What's the worst that happens? You later choose not to keep those few sentences or paragraphs. But maybe the experiment pays off. Maybe you get past whatever your hang-up was. Maybe you discover something amazing about your story. Five minutes sets you free.

^*My numbering brainmeats had a Paul Reiser moment.

We all have things we pretend we don't have time to do. What can you tackle for just five minutes every day?

I'll write this post tomorrow

Just five minutes can make a difference in reaching your goals.

Procrastination.  I don't know about you, but I am a master.  In fact, I was supposed to start this post an hour ago, but sat at the coffee shop talking with a friend (who was also supposed to be writing a blog post).  Fortunately, with just five minutes, procrastination can be overcome.

When I find myself putting something off, whether it's something I want to do or something I'd rather not, I tell myself that I'll work on it for just five minutes. And then I do.

Most of the time--almost always--I end up spending more than five minutes at it. I finish or make good headway.  Even those rare times when I do spend just five minutes, I'm five minutes further than I was before.  I've made progress.

If I do that regularly, I'll continue to make progress.  And then, during one of those five minute sprints, I'll finish.  I'll reach my goal.  And that feels fantastic.

How will you spend five minutes working toward your goals today?